As an attempt to explain the distribution patterns of the periwinkle Nodilittorina peruviana, the aim of this study was to investigate the spatial movement of individuals in response to environmental temperature. Furthermore, the relationship between body temperature and environmental temperature as a function of body size, and the effects of environmental temperature on behavioral thermoregulation was tested. In the field, the body temperature (Tb) of N. peruviana showed a significant correlation with environmental temperature. However, comparisons between body and environmental temperatures revealed that Tb-values were higher than surrounding air and rocky surface temperatures. This pattern can be indicative of behavioral thermoregulation (i.e. by local migration). In fact, under laboratory conditions snails significantly avoided microhabitats with higher temperatures, showing a preferential body temperature of 14 degrees C. We conclude that like many other ectotherms, prosobranch gastropods are able to regulate their body temperature by the use of behavioral responses of thermoregulation, which may partially explain their pattern of spatial distribution in the rocky intertidal of central Chile.